Door check



C. O. LARSON Oct. 10, 1939.

DOOR CHECK Filed Dec. 13, 1

0 13/2 wz/ l4 INVENTOR.

7 i ATTORNEY.

Chg Fla; GZaraam Patented Oct. 10, 1939 PATENT OFFICE noon CHECK Charles 0. Larson, Sterling, 111., assignor to Chas. 0. Larson 00., Sterling, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 13, 1938, Serial No. 245,436

6 Claims.

This invention relates to door-stops, and more particularly to those that are hung on the door adjacent to the edge thereof, so that when the door, such as a screen door, is slammed shut, the

stop or buffer will swing outwardly and interpose itself between the edge portion of the door and the door-frame, to cushion the impact, and will then swing downwardly into its normal vertical position on the inner side of the door.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction and arrangement whereby the said buffer or doorstop will be effective, to cushion the impact, even when the speed of the door is such that the stop or buffer is by centrifugal force swung into a practically horizontal position, and whereby no guide or restricting device is necessary for the shank of the stop or buffer, the latter being free to swing without any restraint or restriction on the loose link or pivotal support provided at its upper end, thus insuring a very simple and inexpensive device for this purpose.

Another object is to provide a form of resilient stop or buffer which will have a uniform thickness throughout the length thereof, so that the full thickness of the cushionlike buffer will be interposed between the door and the door-frame, even though the outward swing of the buffer or stop is comparatively slight, so that the action for a slight swing of the device will be substantially the same as when it is swung out farther and into a horizontal position, whereby there will be no slippage between the cushioning device and the door and door-frame, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

It is also an object to provide certain details and novel features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efliciency and the desirability of a door-stop or buffer of this particular construction.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing, in Which Fig. 1 is a perspective of a portion of a screen door and of a portion of the side members of the door-frame, showing a stop or buffer attached to the door, embodying the principles of the invention, the door being in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the door partially open, in full lines, with the end of the stop or buffer interposed between the door and the door-frame or jamb, and showing the door more widely opened in dotted lines, the said door, 55 shown in dotted lines, being supposed to be moving toward the door-jamb, as indicated by the arrow.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the said door-stop or buffer, on a larger scale, shown attached to a fragment of the door. 5

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a fiat section I of rubber or other resilient or cushioning material, preferably provided at its lower 10. end with an enlarged head 2, but both the shank and the said head being of the same thickness, notwithstanding that the head is preferably wider than the shank. The upper end of the shank is shown provided with an eye 3, linked 15 through an eye 4 that is inserted into the door 5, which latter may be an ordinary screen door.

With the cushioning device or door-stop thus formed, and thus mounted on the door, the action is as follows: When the door is allowed to slam shut, say under spring power, the member I will swing outwardly by centrifugal force, and will interpose itself between the edge portion of the door and the edge portion or jamb of the door frame. If the outward swing of the mem- 25 ber l is only slight, then only the head 2, or a portion thereof, will be interposed between the door and the door-frame. However, if the door is given a more forceful closing movement, with perhaps greater range, the member I will swing 30 outwardly to a greater distance, and may even assume a horizontal position, and in such position it will again be interposed between the edge portion of the door and the edge portion of the door-frame. In either case, however, it will be 35 seen that rubber or other resilient material is interposed between the door and the door-frame and that the interposed thickness is always the same, regardless of whether the device swings outwardly only a little, or swings outwardly to a greater extent. Thus, the cushioning is practically always the same, regardless of the extent of swing of the device, for the shank of the stop or buffer is resilient and will provide the desired cushioning action, when the device swings so far out that the head 2 is beyond the edge of the door-jamb. Or if, instead, the device swings outwardly just a little, just enough to interpose the edge portion of the head 2 between the door and the door-jamb, the cushioning action is then substantially the same, inasmuch as the swinging stop or buffer is of uniform thickness throughout the length thereof and throughout its entire area, and the same thickness of rubber or other resilient or cushioning material is always interposed between the door and the door-jamb, regardless of the extent of outward swing of the device.

In addition, it will be seen that the invention, constructed and operating in the manner shown and described, obviates the necessity of using a guide or guard, or any means whatever, for restricting the swing of the buffer or door-stop. In other words, there is no necessity of guiding or restricting the swing of the device, for no matter how far it may swing, from its normal vertical position, beyond the edge of the door, the desired cushioning action will be insured.

Of course, when the rubber member receives the impact of the door, on the door-jamb, it will be clamped temporarily or momentarily, until the door rebounds, so to speak, and then the device will swing down and assume its normal vertical position again, with the door free to move into its fully closed position against the doorjamb.

Obviously, also, and even though the stop or buffer may have swung outwardly only a little, just enough to interpose its edge between the door and the door-jamb, it will not slip out or be squeezed back by the pressure of the door, as it always presents a fiat surface to the inner flat surface of the door, and always presents a flat surface to the door-jamb. For example, this would not be'the case if the rubber member I were provided with rounded side edges instead of the comparatively sharp square edges shown in the drawing, for just a simple rounded edge at each side could be squeezed back between the door and the jamb, if only its rounded edge were caught between the two. But when formed as shown, with square or comparatively sharp edges, providing a perfectly flat back and a perfectly flat front for the member, and with the side surfaces at right angles to these front and rear sides, only a slight insertion of the member between the door and the door-lamb is sufficient to make it hold and keep it in place until after the rebound of the door. For that purpose, therefore, the member I, when viewed in cross section, at any point in the length thereof, will show parallel front and. back surfaces, spaced apart by fiat side surfaces, and with four right angle corners where the front and back and side surfaces intersect each other.

The device is comparatively cheap to manufacture, and easy and simple to install, and while it can be in the form of a perfectly straight slab or fiat member, from top to bottom, it is preferable that the lower end be enlarged in the manner shown, in order to insure the desired results with practically a minimum of rubber or other resilient material.

Of course, the body I could have four square corners at its outer side, facing toward the doorjamb, and could have its inner side entirely rounded. However, that would involve more expense, as the device would have to be made in rights and lefts, whereas with the formation shown the buffer or door-stop is either a right or a left, as its two side edges are exactly the same, each side edge being flat with square corners. Thus, the device, with the construction shown and described, can be used on any door, either a right or a left, as it will work satisfactorily either way.

It will be seen that the buffer or cushioning device thus shown is suspended freely at its upper end, so that it is free to swing back and forth in opposite directions, like a pendulum, and may swing outward only a little, or to a much greater extent, and may even swing into a horizontal position, without defeating the purpose of the device. In other Words, regardless of how far the device swings, the edge of the door always impinges upon the resilient material thereof.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A door-stop or buffer, for cushioning the impact of a door when slammed shut, comprising a flat oblong resilient body practically of uniform thickness, for engaging both the door and the door-frame, and means for freely suspending said body at its upper end on the door, so that when said door is slarmned shut, said body will swing outwardly by centrifugal force and interpose itself between the door and the edge of the door-frame, the substantial flatness and practically uniform thickness of said body tending to insure substantially the same cushioning action, regardless of whether the body swings outwardly only a little, or practically into a horizontal position, the door always having cushioning engagement with said body, even when the latter is horizontal, and the body having square corners that tend to prevent it from being squeezed back from between the door and the the edge of the door-frame, when it is swung outwardly only slightly, said body being free to return by gravity to its normal vertical position, on the rebound of the door.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said body being formed by an integral slab of rubber or resilient material.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said body having an enlargement forming a head for its lower end, and providing a relatively narrow shank above the head, but both the shank and said head being compressible and thus effective as a cushion between the door and the door-frame.

4. A door-stop or buffer comprising a cushioning body of substantially uniform thickness, for engaging both the door and the door-frame, suspended freely at its upper end on the door, in position to swing freely outward by centrifugal force, about its point of suspension, to interpose itself between the door and the door-frame, said body being free to return by gravity to its normal vertical position, on the rebound of the door, said substantially uniform thickness providing the same thickness of cushion between the door and the door-frame, regardless of whether the body swings outwardly only a little, or is swung outwardly farther and even to a horizontal position, depending upon how the door swings shut, said body always engaging and sustaining the impact of the edge of the door, when the latter swings shut.

5. A structure as specified in claim 4, said body having square corners that tend to prevent it from being squeezed out from between the door and the door-jamb, when only its edge portion is caught between the two,

6. A structure as specified in claim 4, said body being formed of a single integral section of rubber or resilient material.

CHARLES O. LARSON. 

